Tomato Farmer
Richard was a financial consultant for the most part of his life. He made big bucks teaching companies how to make even bigger bucks. He is 40 now, and decided he has made enough money for retirement.
So here he is, strolling on the beaches of a tropical island, enjoying the fruits of 40 years of hard labor.
On one particularly sunny day, Richard chanced upon a tiny tomato farm while exploring the nearby forest. The tomatoes were the biggest and reddest ones he has ever laid his eyes on. Curious, Richard went up to the hut beside the farm and tapped on the wooden door. A young man about 20 years of age greeted him,
Young Man: "Hello Sir, how may I help you?"
Rich: "Hello, my name is Richard, I couldnt help notice how big and red your tomatoes are."
Young Man: "My name is Eos. I've been growing tomatoes since I was 5 using a secret method passed down from my grand father to my father to me. Would you like to try one?"
Eos handed Richard the biggest and reddest tomato he could find.
Rich: "Its delicious! You have to tell me how to grow such succulent tomatoes!"
Eos: "I'm sorry but its a family secret, I can only tell it to my son."
Richard's business mind ticked furiously. These tomatoes have such enormous export potential, it would be such a waste for them to kept on this island.
Rich: "Eos, you should grow alot more tomatoes."
Eos: "But what for? I have enough to eat and feed my family."
Rich: "You can sell the rest of the tomatoes to people on other islands like yours."
Eos: "Why would I want to do that?"
Rich: "So they would pay you alot of money for those tomatoes."
Eos: "Hmm, I could always use more money, but growing more tomatoes is so much more work."
Rich: "With more money you could employ workers to grow the tomatoes for you. All you have to do is sit back and collect all the money."
Eos: "Then what do I do with all that money?"
Rich: "Well, you could migrate to a tropical island and relax for the rest of your life."
Eos: "...like what I'm doing now?"
Cute eh?
How often are our decisions in life driven by arbitrary goals? We -know- we want to study hard to get a good job. We -know- we want a good job to make alot of money. But do we really know why we want to make alot of money? Is money a goal or is it a means to a goal? Have we stared so long at the trees we've forgotten about the forest?
I guess we cant really blame ourselves, its tough enough trying to study hard or to look for a good job. Who has the time to think about what we want to do with our lives? Ideals and ambitions have no place in this realistic world of ours, hmm? In the end, its money thats going to feed you, not dreams.
But whats the point of trying so hard to get somewhere you dont want to go?
So our children can get their new iPod Microscopic? So we can drive the new BMW 10 Series? So we can have $20 fried rice for lunch? You get the point? When did we let the things we own, own us?
Are we the sum of the things we own? Or are we the sum of the things we do?
What is the sum of your life so far?
So here he is, strolling on the beaches of a tropical island, enjoying the fruits of 40 years of hard labor.
On one particularly sunny day, Richard chanced upon a tiny tomato farm while exploring the nearby forest. The tomatoes were the biggest and reddest ones he has ever laid his eyes on. Curious, Richard went up to the hut beside the farm and tapped on the wooden door. A young man about 20 years of age greeted him,
Young Man: "Hello Sir, how may I help you?"
Rich: "Hello, my name is Richard, I couldnt help notice how big and red your tomatoes are."
Young Man: "My name is Eos. I've been growing tomatoes since I was 5 using a secret method passed down from my grand father to my father to me. Would you like to try one?"
Eos handed Richard the biggest and reddest tomato he could find.
Rich: "Its delicious! You have to tell me how to grow such succulent tomatoes!"
Eos: "I'm sorry but its a family secret, I can only tell it to my son."
Richard's business mind ticked furiously. These tomatoes have such enormous export potential, it would be such a waste for them to kept on this island.
Rich: "Eos, you should grow alot more tomatoes."
Eos: "But what for? I have enough to eat and feed my family."
Rich: "You can sell the rest of the tomatoes to people on other islands like yours."
Eos: "Why would I want to do that?"
Rich: "So they would pay you alot of money for those tomatoes."
Eos: "Hmm, I could always use more money, but growing more tomatoes is so much more work."
Rich: "With more money you could employ workers to grow the tomatoes for you. All you have to do is sit back and collect all the money."
Eos: "Then what do I do with all that money?"
Rich: "Well, you could migrate to a tropical island and relax for the rest of your life."
Eos: "...like what I'm doing now?"
Cute eh?
How often are our decisions in life driven by arbitrary goals? We -know- we want to study hard to get a good job. We -know- we want a good job to make alot of money. But do we really know why we want to make alot of money? Is money a goal or is it a means to a goal? Have we stared so long at the trees we've forgotten about the forest?
I guess we cant really blame ourselves, its tough enough trying to study hard or to look for a good job. Who has the time to think about what we want to do with our lives? Ideals and ambitions have no place in this realistic world of ours, hmm? In the end, its money thats going to feed you, not dreams.
But whats the point of trying so hard to get somewhere you dont want to go?
So our children can get their new iPod Microscopic? So we can drive the new BMW 10 Series? So we can have $20 fried rice for lunch? You get the point? When did we let the things we own, own us?
Are we the sum of the things we own? Or are we the sum of the things we do?
What is the sum of your life so far?
posted by js at 1:29 AM
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